Older girls, and young ladies...

[123RedBeard]

Pay now, or pay later ...

Integration is a crap shoot ... ... especially difficult for your first "chicken lesson" ...

 

[mowin]

Pay now, or pay later ...

Integration is a crap shoot ... ... especially difficult for your first "chicken lesson" ...

First " chicken lesson" well not quite. In my teens my dad had chickens. Really enjoyed having them. But the only chicks we had we're were from a hen that had a nest under the neighbors shed. She'd be missing throughout the day and weeks, but eventually came back with 8 chicks trailing behind her. Lol . Our ST Bernard seen the chicks and was curious. Have you ever seen a St Bernard with his tail between his legs as a mother hen was trying to rip his tail off. Lol.

I'm not completely new to raising chickens, but it's been long enough that it's pretty close.

 

[Chickassan]

It isn't all that bad, don't let it scare you!
Don't get me wrong old/young intergration isn't that good either lol!
Just make sure the younger ones have a way to escape the older ones if they need to and put out multiple food and water stations so the old ones can't guard them all.
They'll need multiple roosts, oldies won't sleep with newbies and be prepared, there will be some AWFUL looking pecking, feather pulling, squawking just really bad looking stuff.
That is just how they operate, it really won't get any better until all the ladies are laying.
This is what to expect, totally your call now whether you do it or not.

 

[aart]

I "should" have enough room for 12 hens @ 4 per sqft.

Yeah, the 4/10 thing is minimum, IM(and many others)O.
Get thru your first winter with your 6 before deciding if you have enough space.
Unless your run is weather proof, Chicken Coop Cabin Fever is Real and it can be Ugly.

 

[mowin]

Yeah, the 4/10 thing is minimum, IM(and many others)O.
Get thru your first winter with your 6 before deciding if you have enough space.
Unless your run is weather proof, Chicken Coop Cabin Fever is Real and it can be Ugly.

I think my best option is to hold off on the older hens. The option of buying eggs from my buddy is obviously the best option.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I'm building my coop now. Buddy of mine has 6 Buff Orps chicks that he's going to keep with his chicks until it's warm enough and there old enough to put in my coop without heat.
He also has three 2 yr old Buff Orps he is giving me as soon as my coop and run is ready.

Tell him to keep the layers, and sell you the eggs till yours start laying ...

I agree, Just take the chicks.
I have 2 small coops . I don't mix ages. I have 35 months old in one and 6 months old in the other. Keeps it simple. GC

 

[mowin]

So at what age can I comfortably mix older and Younger hens? Do I need to wait until the younger ones start to lay?

 

[GC-Raptor]

So at what age can I comfortably mix older and Younger hens? Do I need to wait until the younger ones start to lay?

Depends how big your coop is. I don't have an answer. I prefer to have 2 smaller coops and not having to integrate and keep up egg production. GC

 

[Kat2141]

I "should" have enough room for 12 hens @ 4 per sqft. But only going to have 9 at most.
Nest boxes will be in the coop, but off the floor. Probably 14" off the floor.

In MY opinion, that is not enough room for 12 unless they are small. I have 8 hens in a 10x10 stall with boards at lots of levels to go on, with a large run (40x65') outside. They like to move around a LOT. They are fine inside for a day or 2 but definitely prefer access to outside, weather permitting. I have 4 red sex-links (medium size) and 4 Langshan crosses (large girls).

My red ones are a year older than the black ones and there was a definite division between them for a long time... like 2 separate flocks. Now they are mingling more... maybe since the black ones started laying... not sure of the reason.

 

[aart]

So at what age can I comfortably mix older and Younger hens? Do I need to wait until the younger ones start to lay?

I add hatched chicks every spring, brood in coop one week after hatch, integrate with flock by 4-6 weeks....but have the space and setup to make it pretty easy.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

I still follow the ....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.